A soldier's point of view

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A soldier's point of view
By John Fischer

On Memorial Day, my wife and I watched the 15^th annual memorial service from Washington, honoring men and women who had died and been wounded serving their country from World War II to the present war in Iraq. It was extremely well done and very moving. We wiped our tears away often as we watched soldiers tell their stories and actors speak for those who could not speak for themselves.

What made it especially poignant was the current controversy over our involvement in Iraq and the scandal of the treatment of prisoners that has dominated the news recently. Regardless of ones position on the current occupation in Iraq, the soldiers who serve don’t get to have an opinion, or if they do, it doesn’t really matter—they just take orders and do what they have to do. So much depends on your perspective. Seeing through the eyes of a common citizen at home and seeing through the eyes of a soldier in combat are two entirely different things.

When it comes to our mission here as followers of Christ, we can see things through the eyes of a regular guy going to work and trying to make it in the world, or we can see things from the perspective of the Holy Spirit and God’s work in bringing people into his kingdom. In light of spiritual truth, we are all soldiers in combat. No matter how people debate the issues of life, religion and politics, we know the ultimate question is a person’s eternal state. We must keep focused on the central issue: do the people in my neighborhood and my circle of friends know Christ? Do they know God is not counting their sins against them any longer and is welcoming them through his forgiveness, no questions asked? (2 Corinthians 5:19)

We are ambassadors of the greatest news the world has ever known. Regardless of the reasons that keep us functioning and busy in society, the real issue is on the spiritual front lines. We can have all sorts of points of view when it comes to the way our country is operating, but when it comes to the big issue of the souls of men and women—and why we are here—we need to ask God for a soldier’s point of view.